Bird Photography in Iceland: Our 40 Favorite Locations

New book: Bird Photography in Iceland: Our 40 Favorite Locations We wrote Bird Photography in Iceland—Our 40 Favorite Locations as a practical guide for bird photographers traveling to Iceland. We share 40 of our favorite locations and cover each area's accessibility and avifauna, spilling our guts and secrets. We might overlook some excellent spots, but we do our best to recommend only places that have proven worthwhile for our bird photography. Those who know our work know we have been active in bird photography for two decades. Our career started with birds, and landscapes followed. STRAIGHT TALK, REAL ADVICE We commit to an honest, direct approach and avoid veiled promotional content. We would share these spots with our photographer friends. The tourism industry has marketed birdwatching and bird photography in Iceland, so one might think it's possible to photograph birds anywhere. This is not the case. If you are planning a trip to Iceland with bird photography in mind. This is for you. It will save you a ton of time.Einar and Gyða TIME-SAVING INFORMATION FOR BIRD PHOTOGRAPHERS Drawing from our two decades of bird photography, this e-book isn't an exhaustive directory but a curated collection of 40 top locations that we swear by. It's designed to optimize your time and enhance your photographic journey. SHARING OUR SECRETS Some of the locations have been our "secret" locations so far. We cover each area's avifauna and accessibility and provide an interactive map link for your phone. Bird photographers' needs differ from those of bird watchers. While this book is crafted for bird photographers, we believe it will also benefit bird watchers. BASED ON OUR 20 YEARS OF BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY ONLINE MAPS FOR YOUR PHONE TIPS FOR EACH AREA TIME-SAVING INFORMATION SHARING OUR SECRETS MINDFULNESS ABOUT PRIVATE LANDS We might overlook some excellent spots – however, we do our best to recommend only places that have proven worthwhile...

Photographing Arctic Fox Family Drama

We put a lot of effort into our wildlife photography. Sometimes, it is hard to see whether we are into photography because of the photos or the experiences we witness. This time, we find four cute cubs and a male. The female is missing. Later, the destiny of this small family takes a dramatic and surprising turn.

Bird photography from a kayak

In photography, we strive to get new perspectives - see our subject in a new and different way.  To do so, photographers use all kinds of gear and methods - and buy new lenses. It was a revolution when drones became a standard photography tool for landscape photography. Suddenly, we could look down from the sky and fly into the world like birds. The floating hides were also a revolution for bird photography. In both cases, we got a new perspective. In this video, we use a kayak for bird photography on the longest day of the year, ending with landscape photography. Using a kayak for photography is another way to get closer to the subjects and on the water with a low-angle view. Birds like puffins, razorbills, and guillemots are commonly called seabirds. They live on the sea during winter, but we mostly photograph them on land. I don´t see many photos of these birds on sea - at least not from a low angle. In this context, a kayak is just a tool to get closer to the subjects and get a new perspective. We use our kayaks not only to photograph seabirds from a hard-to-get perspective but also to relax and enjoy being close to hundreds of thousands of birds in Grímsey. Sailing on a kayak close to birds is a great experience. An old story from Grímsey tells of a priest who disappeared with four others when they sailed into a cave. The cave was believed to go all the way through the island. I have heard this story many times from the elders in Grímsey, and to say the least, this cave has a mysterious status in the minds of the people in Grímsey. This cave is called Prestkvompa in Icelandic, translating to Priestcave or cavern. In this video,...

The longest day in Grimsey

The colors of the Summer Solstice on the small island of Grimsey can be mesmerizing. Summer solstices in Grímsey are a special time. This is when we have the longest day, and the sun paints the landscape with vibrant colors. That is - if it's not cloudy. The following photos are all taken on June 24, 2023. When nature offers such conditions, staying awake and searching for motives is tempting. The yellow moss creates a contrast against the gray rocks. The tufts grasp the sunlight and create interesting shadows. The puffins sit by their burrows, enjoying the colorful spectacle's best view. The so-called Fótur (Leg), the northernmost part of Grímsey, points north towards the sun. Lying on the edge of Básavík's cliff, the puffins look like illuminated light bulbs in the sunset. The photo is taken handheld at 1/20 speed, f10 aperture, yet still at 64 ISO. Before image stabilization was introduced in cameras, capturing such a scene without putting the camera on a tripod was challenging. The lens is at 14 millimeters, meaning the puffins are much closer than they appear. A puffin stands proud with grass for it's burrow. Razorbill silhouettes in the midnight sun. Grímsey, June 24. It's not quite green yet, but it's teeming with life. Possibly up to two million birds inhabit this small island. After sitting on a rock, struggling to capture a group of guillemots with a long lens, I looked around. Behind me, a puffin and a guillemot were sitting and relaxing. Guillemots and puffins are fascinating subjects. Their color changes depending on how the light falls on the feathers. For a moment, they seem black, but when the light changes, they become brownish. The Common guillemots resemble, in many ways, emperor penguins, as they are related. About 65 million years ago, emperor penguins evolved in...

Surprising Photography in Greenland

10-Day Photography Expedition 10 days of photographing landscapes and wildlife in Greenland. Possibly polar bears, muskoxes, the red mountains, gigantic icebergs.  Our friend Daniel Bergmann was on the phone offering us to join an upcoming tour with a small expedition ship to Scoresby Sound in East Greenland.  Saying no was not an option. In this video, we cover our 10-day expedition aboard Polar Pioneer. We sailed from our hometown, Akureyri, and had an amazing trip to Greenland.

Einar and Gyda are landscape and wildlife photographers living in Iceland. They are the authors of three books about Iceland.

Finally – our e-Book version of Photographing Iceland – A Photo Guide to 100 locations is available.

Visit our online store

Photographing Iceland is the perfect travel companion for anyone visiting Iceland with a camera. The book is available in our online store (www.ggart.is) with worldwide shipping – and in all major bookstores in Iceland. Check out our video about the book.

Iceland: Wild at heart is a best-seller. It is available in all bookstores in Iceland and our online store.

Grimsey: The Arctic Wildlife Wonder is our latest book about the wildlife and nature of Grimsey. It is only available in our online store and in the Gallery in Grimsey.

The photographers map of IcelandWe created this map of Iceland based on our book Photographing Iceland – very useful for photographers. Use the map on your phone and read the book for information, pro photography tips and time saving information.

Surprising Photography in Greenland

10-Day Photography Expedition 10 days of photographing landscapes and wildlife in Greenland. Possibly polar bears, muskoxes, the red mountains, gigantic icebergs.  Our friend Daniel Bergmann was on the phone offering us to join an upcoming tour with a small expedition ship to Scoresby Sound in East Greenland.  Saying no was not an option. In this video, we cover our 10-day expedition aboard Polar Pioneer. We sailed from our hometown, Akureyri, and had an amazing trip to Greenland.

3 days of gyrfalcon photography

We were surprised when we found a gyrfalcon nest when we were photographing the landscape. The hike turned into three days of bird photography.In the nest were four chicks and the adults were busy feeding them.This is one of the first times we used our new Nikon Z7ii cameras with the Nikon Z 400 mm f4.5 lenses. We also used the 1.4 and 2.0 teleconverters. The male lands in the nest with an eider duck chick.

Amazing footage of the volcanic eruption

Photographing the 2023 eruption at Litli-Hrutur in Iceland Photographing and visiting the new eruption in Iceland was a fantastic experience. We embarked on a long hike to witness the mesmerizing eruption near a picturesque mountain known as Litli-Hrútur (Tiny-Ram). Nature painted the sky splendidly as the sun rose, casting an ethereal glow over the landscape. The light display was nothing short of awe-inspiring, leaving us spellbound in the presence of such raw beauty. In this video, we let the footage do the talking for us. We did our best to capture and photograph the untamed power of the erupting volcano. From the fiery lava flows to the billowing ash clouds, every frame showcases the sheer magnitude and intensity of this natural spectacle. The sun rises above the mountain Keilir and somehow, the white smoke from burning moss surrounds the eruption. Below the lava fills in the gaps. The Mavic 3 drone...

Exploring mirrorless lenses and cameras for bird photography

Changing from our trusty Nikon DSLR cameras to the mirrorless Nikon Z7ii for bird photography has been challenging. Changing lenses is also a challenge. In this video, we are photographing ducks like the Barrow's Goldeneye and Harlequin ducks on a river, trying to get arty and moody images. The mirrorless revolution is not new; some of you have probably used mirrorless cameras for years. We have used them for four years, but it is only now that we have bought lenses for both landscape photography and bird photography. This video is shot during 4 days of bird photography in wonderful weather, where we really get to explore the possibilities of this setup.

Small house, Big dreams: Building Our Garden Art & Photography Studio

Building and setting up a small, some would say tiny art (photography) studio in our garden is one of our better ideas. In this short video, we will show you how we did it. This tiny house, or art studio as we might call it, has changed how we work. Sometimes we need to work on framing photos, prepare books for shipment and work on all the small things our photography includes. In short, we designed a small house in collaboration with a company in Akureyri that specializes in building small cabins, small houses and guesthouses. The house needed to be insulated for the weather in Iceland and be the workshop we sometimes need. In this video, we casually chat about how the planning process was and how we are using this small house today. Hopefully you can takes something from it.

Winter in puffin paradise

The unseen side of Grimsey Gyda went to Grimsey at the beginning of April. Grimsey is a well-known bird paradise for bird photographers during the summer months. As winter sets in, Grimsey transforms into a frosty wonderland, offering an entirely different perspective of its birdlife. The video reveals the unseen, at least not often seen side of the island, showcasing the contrast between the vibrant summer nesting season and the stark beauty of winter, when the birdlife adapts to a colder, quieter existence.

Short video about our bestseller book Iceland - wild at heart.

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